Artist Statement
In this time of disposable visuals, of planned obsolescence, and endless reproduction I found that something was lacking in my modern digital photography. No matter how technically perfect the image was, or how stunning or compelling the subject matter, something always seemed to be missing.
Over time I have been drawn to the photographic plate processes of the 1800s as an attempt to create images that would be unique and shatter my dissolution with more modern, and reproducible imagery. In order to make ferrotypes and ambrotypes I must first let go of the idea that I can control every aspect of the image: the very nature of the process prevents the creation of a flawless plate. The handmade aspect of the process, the variances of 1800's vintage lenses that I sometimes use, and the often unpredictable chemical results serve as a celebration of the passing moment I capture with the camera.
I use both the authentic 19th century wet-plate collodion process to create my imagery, as well as contemporary versions of the dry-plate gelatin based plates common in the 1880's. Being a modern photographer using historic processes to produce my vision of the world, I am not afraid to mix modern capture and printing methods with the vintage science of plate image creation. Examples of this mating of the historic and the contemporary can be seen in my Iraq ambrotype work.
My journey into the photographic plate processes has allowed me to explore the process of creating images that connect with the viewer both historically and symbolically. I am able to recontextualize the medium and the image, allowing me to present to the viewer a vision they may not be expecting to see. Most importantly, the final product is a stand-alone image/object that seems to take on a new power when its physical presence is felt in the hands of the viewer. The photographic plate is not something that one can easily create, reproduce, destroy, or throw away, thus bringing something lasting and valuable back into our disposable existences.